The design of the 1961 coat of arms is a product of the cumulative ideas of all the members of the class. Incorporated into the design is a cross section of the class focus and its aspirations. The falcon has come to represent the spirit of the Wing and of the Academy and finds itself as the primary feature of the crest. The bird-of-prey is depicted in an attack mode carrying the cadet sword as a weapon and with two lighting bolts on the left wing while unfurling our class motto of "Pro Nobis Astra" (For Us The Stars). The motto underscores the limitless possibilities of the members of our class who reach for the stars. The Polaris Star bisects our class numbers and the three stars above the Earth signify the fact that ours was the third class to graduate from the Air Force Academy. We decided that the entire four-digit date was to be on the ring design, because 1961 is the same right side up or upside down. This probably won't happen again during recorded history, or at least until 6009.

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Heritage

We honor the heritage, history, and legacy of the U.S. Air Force Academy and its
accomplished graduates.